Adria
The Witch redirects here; for the general characteristic, see Witch Adria the Witch was a practitioner of magic, and a servant of Diablo. Biography Early Life Adria was born in KingsportBook of Tyrael in the 1220sThe Awakening as the daughter of a merchant named Sevrin. From a young age, she resented her father, seeing him as more interested in his wealth and possessions than his own flesh and blood. Adria saw a witch for the first time when her father took her to the town square to see the public execution of one. He told her to look at the woman, at what he called "the face of evil." But when Adria looked, the witch looked like any normal person. And when the fire was lit, she burnt like any normal person. As the flames consumed her, the witch met Adria's eyes...and laughed.2013-10-13, Reaper of Souls - Adria Lore Sound Files. YouTube, accessed on 2013-12-21 Before Adria's tenth year, Sevrin lost a small fortune when his ships were destroyed in a storm, and in a fit of drunken rage, killed Adria's mother. Sevrin was arrested by the city guards, but due to his wealth and influence, was able to secure a pardon. During this time, Adria lingered outside the jailhouse. When Sevrin was released, the two went back to living at their dockside abode. Not long after these events, Sevrin's home caught fire in the dead of night. Standing outside, Adria heard his screams and could smell his burning flesh, later describing it as "sickly sweet." Adria later reflected that it was only in his last moments that her father truly saw her, and only in those last moments did he understand what she was. Afterward, Adria vanished into the night. Deckard Cain would later speculate that Adria had played a role in the blaze. After Kingsport After these events, it appears that Adria fled to the wilderness around Kingsport, and perhaps as far north as Westmarch. Adria was labeled as a witch by those she encountered, but found that morality was flexible. When a daughter had a child that needed to disappear, when a sickness needed to be cured, it was her that they turned to. At some point, she spotted a Treasure Goblin. She spent weeks tracking down the creature until she realized the truth of their activities, and the demon that they served. Thus, she gave up on that endeavor.Book of Adria: A Diablo Bestiary The Coven Eventually, Adria became involved with a small and secretive group of witches that existed in the Westmarch's remote wilds. Over the years, she became a powerful figure within the circle. It was here that she met another witch, Maghda. The two became close, sharing certain traits in an uncanny manner. Magdha convinced Adria to poison the leaders of the Coven so they could take control. The cult had been floundering prior to their arrival, but when they took control and poisoned its leaders, they reforged it into a dangerous new order that practiced torture and demonic summoning. It is said that these witches were fueled by the belief that they were destined to become mortal heralds of the Burning Hells. While in the Coven, Adria compiled a tome collecting all she had learned over her travels, so that the Coven might turn this knowledge to its advantage. She declared that the final war between Heaven and Hell was coming and that demon lords had whispered to her, telling her of two possible outcomes. In one, Hell recognised the worth of the Coven and they ruled alongside them. In the other, they saw the Coven as being less than useless, their souls tormented for eternity. She urged the Coven to look at sources of power beyond demonology, from the Mage Clans, to even Zakarum itself. While these groups were not servants of Hell, she insisted that the only pertinent question was whether they were powerful. Years after taking control of the Coven, Adria and Maghda had a falling out and Adria left the group,Diablo III, Act III around the time of the Darkening of Tristram. Cain would later speculate that while Maghda had been devoted to the cult, Adria had only been 'passing through,' that she was driven by the allure of power rather than any greater affiliation. Adria would later write that Maghda had become too complacent, having a far greater estimation of the position of the Coven than Adria did. When she heard the call of Diablo and left the Coven, she did not feel any sorrow in leaving, but rather, that a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. The Darkening of Tristram Not long afterward''Diablo III, ''Act IV, with the appearance of the Hellmouth at Tristram, Adria saw an opportunity to both strike a blow against the legions of Hell, and to make some profit in gold and magical artifacts in the process. Thus, Adria arrived in the village while most of its people were fleeing, and constructed a small hut on the edge of the village, seemingly overnight. Many of the remaining villagers were wary of her, both in regards to her skill in magic, and her procurement of magical items.Diablo She made no secret of being a witch,Deckard Cain's Journal and Deckard Cain was one of the few individuals to interact with her. The pair spent many nights in the Tavern of the Rising Sun, discussing Horadric texts and the various arcana Adria had collected during her travels.Diablo III, Act II Cain found her knowledge about mysticism and demonology most valuable, though he did find her behavior peculiar at times. It was during these conversations that Cain mentioned the Black Soulstone, something that Adria thought little of at the time, but would later come to realize its true significance. When Cain asked about Adria's past, she only said that her father had been a merchant, and otherwise ignored or deflected subsequent questions. As adventurers came to Tristram, they found Adria's magical trade indispensable. Not that this prevented them from meeting their demise in the depths of the cathedral.Diablo Manual Eventually though, three adventurers succeeded where others have failed. Aidan, accompanied by a rogue and sorcerer, journeyed into the depths of the Cathedral and found the source of its corruption—Diablo, Lord of Terror Chaos and Fear. Aidan slew the demon, but was left psychologically and physically scarred by the experience. Tormented by his experiences, Aidan sought solace with Adria.Book of Cain Aidan had plunged Diablo's soulstone into his forehead in an attempt to contain Diablo's essence, and Adria beheld that essence within him. When Aidan spoke, she heard thousands of voices, and saw the flames of her past. Adria knew fear. She pledged herself to Diablo's service.Diablo III, Act III She would give Diablo her blood and soul, and he would give her the destiny she knew to be hers by right. Adria and Aidan spent many nights behind closed doors, and through this liaison, Adria became pregnant with Aidan/Diablo's daughter, Leah. It would take time, but it was intended that when the time was right, Leah would serve as Diablo's vessel as part of his plan to become the sole Prime Evil. Departure Eventually, Aidan left Tristram, now wearing the guise of the Dark Wanderer. Adria told Cain that he had headed east to find mystics that could help exorcise his nightmares. Shortly afterwards, Adria departed also, along with Gillian. The pair traveled to Caldeum where Adria gave birth to Leah. Adria bore no love for the girl, seeing her as Diablo's daughter rather than hers, and a tool at that. After all, she reflected, daughters were a cheap thing. The infant was left in Gillian's care, and after casting a protective spell around Gillian's new home,The Order Adria departed on a mysterious errand. At some point during his travels, with a new group of heroes in pursuit of the Dark Wanderer, Cain encountered Adria and learned of Leah's existence. He promised her that he'd keep her safe. She gave the scholar a scroll of misdirection and protection in the event that he and Leah would have to evade prying eyes. Their paths crossed a few times over the intervening years and Adria caught a few glimpses of her daughter, but otherwise remained inconspicuous. Seven years after the destruction of the Worldstone and Mount Arreat, Cain heard a report that Adria had perished in the Dreadlands. Whatever truth may have existed in the report, it was inaccurate in that Adria was indeed still alive. The destruction of Mount Arreat was the culmination of a series of events that had left five of the Great Evils dead, making Belial and Azmodan the last two lords of Hell. The essences of their five counterparts still lingered in Sanctuary, and over the two decades following Baal's defeat, Adria was able to locate these essences, preparing them for absorption into the Black Soulstone, as per Diablo's plan of taking their essences into himself. After visiting an Entsteig sanitarium (where he learnt of Adria's past affiliation with the Coven), Cain began to sense Adria's presence nearby. Still, the witch managed to evade his attempts to track her down. At some point around this time, Adria passed through the Great Library of Caldeum, where she had come searching for information concerning the battles of the Sin War and Mage Clan Wars. Specifically, she was interested in the Desolate Sands and the ruins of the Cathedral of Light. These were places that Zoltun Kulle had once visited. Cain realized that she was searching for information on the Black Soulstone. Leah and the Black Soulstone Twenty years after the destruction of Arreat, the time had come for Diablo's plan to enter its final stage. At this point in time, Adria was in Caldeum, seeking to gather some things before setting out to find the head of Zoltun Kulle, the Black Soulstone's creator. However, she was cornered by the Imperial Guard in the sewers—Belial had enthralled the city, and was aware of the Black Soulstone's existence, if not its function. His demons tortured her until she was saved by a group of heroes, among which were the now-mortal archangel Tyrael, the Nephalem, and Leah herself. Ever to the point, Adria told them of her plan to use the Black Soulstone to bind and destroy the Great Evils, and directed the Nephalem to find the lost body parts of Zoltun Kulle with the aim of resurrecting him to lead them to the Black Soulstone. As the Nephalem set about doing this task, Adria trained Leah in the use of her power. When Kulle was resurrected and the Black Soulstone was completed, the souls of the five dead Lords of Hell, Andariel, Duriel, Mephisto, Diablo and Baal, were drawn into the stone to Kulle's anger, and Kulle was soon slain again by the Nephalem. Adria told the heroes that her intent for using the stone was destroying the demon lords forever in vengeance for what Diablo did to Tristram twenty years ago. Once all seven Evils were trapped within the stone, she said, she would shatter it and the Lords of Hell would be no more. Armed with the Black Soulstone, the heroes returned to Caldeum to find it under attack by Belial. Adria tried to dissuade Leah and the Nephalem from saving Caldeum's civilians in favor of striking at Belial directly, calling it "foolish heroism", but neither Leah nor the Nephalem could ignore the call to save lives, and successfully evacuated Caldeum's citizens and refugees through the sewers. With the people saved, Adria assisted the Nephalem in battling through to the gates of the Imperial Palace, ordering Leah to bring down the gates. When the Nephalem killed Belial, Leah successfully bound his soul into the Black Soulstone, leaving the party only with the issue of Azmodan. On the way to Bastion's Keep, Leah went through Cain's writings, where she learnt of Adria's past connections to the Coven, and Cain's suspicions. Adria admitted her connection to the Coven, but claimed it was part of her quest to wage war against Hell, and 'confessed' she had gone too far. True Colors At Bastion's Keep, while Azmodan's minions lay siege, Adria remained at her daughter's side, as she struggled to contain the essences of the six demon lords imprisoned inside the Black Soulstone. Eventually, however, Azmodan was defeated, and Adria and Leah were there as the latter imprisoned the last lord of Hell within the stone. Victory was in sight, and Adria stated that the stone would have to be taken back to the keep, to make preparations to destroy it and in turn, the demon lords it contained. At the keep, however, Adria revealed her true colors, slaughtering a number of soldiers, and incapacitating both Tyrael and Leah. She revealed her true allegiance and her real purpose for the Black Soulstone as well as who Leah's true father was, just before turning the Black Soulstone upon her daughter. Thus, Diablo was reborn in the world in a new vessel, as a singular Prime Evil, the embodiment of all seven Great Evils in one being. After over twenty years, Adria had completed the task that was assigned to her. Diablo was pleased, and ordered Adria to leave until he needed her again. She thus disappeared through a portal, while Diablo departed to lead an invasion of the High Heavens. It was an invasion that ultimately failed, and Diablo cast down. Adria however, remained at large. Reaper of Souls Adria entered the Blood Marsh not long after the events at Bastion's Keep.2014-03-06, REAPER OF SOULS™ FIRST LOOK: EXPLORING THE BLOOD MARSH. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-06-11 She knew that Diablo had fallen and that the Black Soulstone had fallen into the hands of Malthael, but maintained that the Lord of Terror would return, and sought to retrieve the stone. Her former allies attempted to locate Malthael after he unleashed his Reapers upon Westmarch. After the defeat of Urzael, Myriam Jahzia told the Nephalem that Adria was the only one who knew where Malthael was hiding, and that she had gone to the Blood Marsh. Thirsting for vengeance for the betrayal at Bastion's Keep that had destroyed Leah and unleashed the Prime Evil upon Heaven itself, the heroes journeyed through the marsh, where they battled creatures that had been corrupted by Adria's newfound blood magic. The trail led them to the Ruins of Corvus, an ancient Nephalem city where they encountered blood golems also created by Adria. The heroes finally cornered Adria in the Great Hall, just in time to learn that the Angel of Death had gone to Pandemonium. Adria declared that the angels would never suffer humanity to live, and that they could not accept that humans could choose their own path, stating that at least demons were not so rigid in their beliefs. And with that, Adria threw herself into a pit of blood before re-emerging as a massive Blood Demon to do battle with the Nephalem. During the battle, she noted that Diablo sent her a vision of his return, with none other than the Nephalem releasing him. The heroes slew Adria, exacting justice for her betrayal and avenging her daughter, but the vision came to pass; during the final battle with Malthael, the Angel of Death shattered the Black Soulstone and absorbed the essence of the Prime Evil into himself, and when the Nephalem finally defeated him, Diablo's essence was loosed back into the world,Diablo III, Act V still containing the other six Great Evils.2014-05-19, More Info From The Anniversary Dev Stream. Diablo Fans.com, accessed on 2014-05-20 Legacy After her death, Adria's skull was taken by an unknown party and hung in a macabre manner.Book of Adria: A Diablo Bestiary At some point, cultists sifted through the remains of Adria's belongings, and discovered the secret to reviving her memories. A representation of Tristram as she remembered it during its fall was briefly constructed, along with manifestations of Diablo and his lieutenants as they existed then.Diablo III, Anniversary Dungeon In-game Diablo I Adria's shop is located in the east of the Tristram map, far beyond the city borders, accessible through a small bridge. She sells and buys: *Magic Books *Mana Potions *Elixirs (on the very late stages of the game, each costs 5000 gold, and she rarely has more than one) *Magic Staves *Scrolls *Runes (in Hellfire only) She can recharge player's magic staff for a fee, but unlike Sorcerer's ability, it will not reduce the maximum number of charges. Adria also starts (and finishes) the Black Mushroom quest. Quotes *''I sense a soul in search of answers...'' Gossip *''Wisdom is earned, not given. If you discover a tome of knowledge, devour its words. Should you already have knowledge of the arcane mysteries scribed within a book, remember - that level of mastery can always increase.'' *''The greatest power is often the shortest lived. You may find ancient words of power written upon scrolls of parchment. The strength of these scrolls lies in the ability of either apprentice or adept to cast them with equal ability. Their weakness is that they must first be read aloud and can never be kept at the ready in your mind. Know also that these scrolls can be read but once, so use them with care.'' *''Though the heat of the sun is beyond measure, the mere flame of a candle is of greater danger. No energies, no matter how great, can be used without the proper focus. For many spells, ensorcelled Staves may be charged with magical energies many times over. I have the ability to restore their power - but know that nothing is done without a price.'' *''The sum of our knowledge is in the sum of its people. Should you find a book or scroll that you cannot decipher, do not hesitate to bring it to me. If I can make sense of it I will share what I find.'' *''To a man who only knows Iron, there is no greater magic than Steel. The blacksmith Griswold is more of a sorcerer than he knows. His ability to meld fire and metal is unequaled in this land.'' *''Corruption has the strength of deceit, but innocence holds the power of purity. The young woman Gillian has a pure heart, placing the needs of her matriarch over her own. She fears me, but it is only because she does not understand me.'' *''A chest opened in darkness holds no greater treasure than when it is opened in the light. The storyteller Cain is an enigma, but only to those who do not look. His knowledge of what lies beneath the cathedral is far greater than even he allows himself to realize.'' *''The higher you place your faith in one man, the farther it has to fall. Farnham has lost his soul, but not to any demon. It was lost when he saw his fellow townspeople betrayed by the Archbishop Lazarus. He has knowledge to be gleaned, but you must separate fact from fantasy.'' *''The hand, the heart and the mind can perform miracles when they are in perfect harmony. The healer Pepin sees into the body in a way that even I cannot. His ability to restore the sick and injured is magnified by his understanding of the creation of elixirs and potions. He is as great an ally as you have in Tristram.'' *''There is much about the future we cannot see, but when it comes it will be the children who wield it. The boy Wirt has a blackness upon his soul, but he poses no threat to the town or its people. His secretive dealings with the urchins and unspoken guilds of nearby towns gain him access to many devices that cannot be easily found in Tristram. While his methods may be reproachful, Wirt can provide assistance for your battle against the encroaching Darkness.'' *''Earthen walls and thatched canopy do not create a home. The innkeeper Ogden serves more of a purpose in this town than many understand. He provides shelter for Gillian and her matriarch, maintains what life Farnham has left to him, and provides an anchor for all who are left in the town to what Tristram once was. His tavern, and the simple pleasures that can still be found there, provide a glimpse of a life that the people here remember. It is that memory that continues to feed their hopes for your success.'' Diablo Immortal Adria's activities in the period between Diablo II and Diablo III will be touched on in Diablo Immortal.2018-11-03, BlizzCon 2018: Diablo Immortal. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2018-11-04 She will appear in the game itself.2018-11-04, BlizzCon 2018: Diablo Immortal Press Conference - Wyatt Cheng and Allen Adham. YouTube, accessed on 2018-11-13 Diablo III In Diablo III, Adria is first met during the Unexpected Allies quest in Act II, where you are tasked with rescuing her from Belial's Imperial Guard in the Wretched Pit in the sewers of Caldeum. She aids you both during the battle in the Pit and during the final assault on the Imperial Palace. In both cases, she attacks with fireballs that deal minor damage. She can draw the enemy's attention, and cannot be killed as she is marked as an essential quest NPC. Aside from this, Adria spends most of her time in the Hidden Camp in Act II, and in The Armory of Bastion's Keep in Act III, watching over Leah. Act III only sees her participate in battle once, during the swarm of the Terror Spawn in the Armory when Leah temporarily loses control of the Black Soulstone. In gameplay, she only leaves the Armory when she gives the Heart of Sin quest after you kill the Siegebreaker Assault Beast. In both acts where she appears, Adria has a variety of conversation options, and going through every one of her conversations earns the player the "Bewitched" achievement. Adria disappears following the betrayal that ends Act III and does not return for the remainder of the regular game. Reaper of Souls Adria resurfaces as the second, mid-act boss of Act V, and the battle with her is the climax of the mid-act quest, The Witch. The battle takes place in a square arena, with an impassable pool of blood in the center and two Healing Wells in two opposite corners. The combat starts immediately after entering the Great Hall in the Ruins of Corvus. After a cutscene (and her transformation) Adria gains the following combat abilities: *'Slash': a rapid melee strike, only used if all other attacks are on cooldown. *'Wing Slash': Adria raises her wing menacingly, swiping a cone in front of her over 1 second. Deals heavy Physical damage, but can be avoided if noticed in time. *'Arcane Rune' a.k.a. Blood Ball: places a small pool of arcane energy beneath the player's feet. This pool deals average Arcane damage over time, but has a very small radius. *'Whirlpool' a.k.a. Blood Pool: Adria instantly teleports to another location (usually into close combat with the player), dealing Physical damage within 10 yards of both starting and destination points. Before cast, one may see a black rune glowing beneath her feet. *'Blood Rain': Adria's main weapon; every 25% of health, or every 45 seconds, she will use Whirlpool to move back to her starting position. Once there, for 3 seconds she cannot perform any actions (and is vulnerable at that moment), and after that, calls down a rain of blood oozes. The oozes are invulnerable and untargetable, crawling erratically over the arena, and if stepped on, create a pool of blood dealing average Physical damage over time. Each pool exists for roughly 15 seconds, but oozes do not despawn until stepped on. On Torment difficulty, Adria does not have the Enrage timer, but has a soft enrage of her own: unless killed quickly, she will overwhelm the player with Blood Rain oozes, covering the entire arena with those, making it impossible to move without stepping on them. Increased movement speed is advised in this battle, as all Adria's abilities can be avoided by moving quickly. High Physical resistance also helps. Upon death, she had a chance to drop Osseous Grasp in 2.4.1 PTR, but does not do so in the live game. Quotes * "Let's see where you've been hiding, Malthael..." * "The angels will never suffer us to live. They cannot accept the fact that we may choose our own path. At least demons are not so rigid in their beliefs." * "Diablo sent me a vision: he had returned, and you were the one who freed him." * "He always finds a way. My master will return." * "Are you really so angry because of Leah? (laughs) What a waste..." * "Heroes die." * "Burn!" * "Fire consumes all." * "The power of my blood sings to me." * "The fires of the Burning Hells cannot be extinguished." * "You never even suspected." Personality and Traits Adria was direct and to the point with all those who interacted with her. She didn't have time for the merely curious. In her thirties, she had raven-black hair, though come her fifties, it had started to go gray.The Art of Diablo III During the End of Days, she still appeared quite young, which proved to be surprising for others, though she responded quite icily to anyone who asked for her true age. Cain noted that if there was one constant about Adria, it was her lust for power. For Adria herself, power was "knowing how to use things to get what you want." She saw all of Sanctuary as a vault of riches that could be exploited; every creature, every plant, and every culture could provide a source of power. This included groups like the Mage Clans and Zakarum, the pertinent question to Adria being "are they powerful," and if so, what could be gained from them. Being a witch, Adria often practiced the darker healing practices, being able to fight the diseases against which other healers were powerless.Diablo III, Adria's Journal (Act V) Possibly as a consequence of her own father's negligence and lack of love, Adria was very cold-hearted. She gladly helped peasants get rid of their unborn children, and did not have any regret upon finding out what would happen to her own daughter. As Adria herself stated, "daughters are a cheap thing". She had a high opinion of herself, that through her alliance with Diablo, he was granting what destiny 'owed' her. Adria had some sympathy towards the khazra, given their origins at the hands of the Vizjerei Clan. When the khazra turned against their creators, Adria noted that any mage that met their ends at the hands of goatmen was "a fate well earned." She similarly had a low opinion of Zakarumites, considering them "mindless zealots," but respected their inquisitors' mastery of torture. She was wary of the risks of demonic possession; she was willing to work with demons, but would do so on her own terms. At least during the Darkening of Tristram, Adria's accent conformed to the style of speech used in Kingsport. Abilities A tenacious individual,2013-12-08, BlizzCon 2013 – Diablo III Lore and Story Q&A Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-03-29 Adria was in tune with the ebb and flow of magic and had great affinity for it. Lorath Nahr would later speculate as to the extent that Adria relied on Diablo for her magic, but concluded that her own magic was nonetheless strong.Diablo III, Flesh Gorger She also possessed the gift of foresight. She was also skilled in the making of herbs, elixirs, oils, poisons, drawing, and potions, and possessed much knowledge in mysticism and demonology. Trivia *According to The Awakening, Adria was once a well regarded member of the Vizjerei Clan, but for undisclosed reasons, was outcast from the order and labeled as a witch. Whenever asked about her time with the Vizjerei, Adria refused to respond. This backstory was apparently retconned through Book of Tyrael, where it established that Adria joined the Coven early on and only left during the Darkening of Tristram. References Videos Category:Diablo I NPCs Category:Diablo III NPCs Category:Boss Category:Demons Category:Act 5 Bestiary (Diablo III) Category:Witches